A Handbook on the Three Jewels of Jainism THE YOGASHASTRA OF HEMACANDRA A 12th Century Jain Treatise on Yoga
Manish Modi
A Handbook on the Three Jewels of Jainism
THE YOGASHASTRA OF HEMACANDRA
A 12th Century Jain Treatise on Yoga
Sanskrit text in Devanagari + Sanskrit text in Roman + English translation
Sanskrit text by
Acarya Hemacandra
English translation by
Olle Qvarnström
Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series Volume 29
First edition 2012; Sixth edition 2013
29 x 21 cm 364 pages 978-81-88769-94-0 Hardcover
₹ 700
Pandit Nathuram Premi came to Mumbai in 1901 from Devari (Bundelkhand). Some years later, he started publishing Jain texts under the name of Jain Granth Ratnākar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathuram_Premi
On 24 September, 1912 Premi ji published a Hindi translation of John Stuart Mill’s “Liberty”, called “Svādhīnatā”, thus establishing a legacy that has endured till today, of making world class books easily accessible to readers of Hindi.
A lot of water has flown down the Arabian Sea since then. Premi ji’s Bombay is unrecognisable from today’s Mumbai. His publishing house too has changed with the times. Its focus has shifted from publishing classic Bengali and Marathi literature skillfully translated in Hindi; to publishing the most important Jain texts with world class translations in Hindi and English.
Pt. Premi ji was the pioneer of Hindi publishing. Indeed, he was called the Bhīshma Pitāmah of Hindi publishing by Vishnu Prabhakar. Today, we have established the Pandit Nathuram Premi Research Series where world class Jain scholars such as Ludwig Alsdorf, Maurice Bloomfield, Padmanabh S. Jaini, Willem Bollée, Nalini Balbir, Piotr Balcerowicz, Peter Flügel, Olle Qvarnström, Eva de Clercq and Jaykumar Jalaj among others have been published. In addition, the writings of renowned humanists such as Arthur Dobrin and Hermann Kuhn have also been published.
On 24 September 2012, we celebrated our hundredth year by publishing several quality books on Jain studies. This is in line with our illustrious founder’s approach. Had Premi ji been here, he would have chosen to underplay the longevity of his firm and focus instead on the quality of books published by it. We are trying to walk in his giant footsteps.
In keeping with this aim, we now present a new English translation of Ācārya Hemacandra’s “Yogaśāstra”. The “Yogaśāstra” is a Sanskrit work with 12 chapters (prakāśa). It occupies a very important place in the Śvetāmbara Jain tradition. In twelve chapters, this work sheds light on various aspects of religion and morality, promoting the timeless Jain ideals of non-violence, self-control and penance. Hemacandra emphasises ascetic practices for moral upliftment, service to one's parents, meditation for spiritual progress, recitation of the Jinas' names, and the importance of the meritorious conduct of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy and non-possessiveness. The “Yogaśāstra” is therefore a complete text, addressing both the ascetic and the layperson, and guiding them both on the path of liberation.
Ācārya Hemacandra is possibly the most high profile and certainly the most prolific Jain monk in the Śvetāmbara denomination of the Jain Church. He was one of the most important scholars of his era, a polyglot as well as a polymath. This work is unique as not only was the original text written by Hemacandra but also he composed a Sanskrit commentary to it.
This work has been published in an aesthetically pleasing manner, in the A4 size, with a very attractive cover. It has been translated into English by the renowned scholar and Indologist, Prof Dr Olle Qvarnström of Sweden.
The text and translation is based on Muni Jambuvijaya ji’s critical edition. The text comprises of 1009 verses divided into 12 chapters. A majority of the verses are composed in the śloka metre. However, several verses in the last two chapters are composed in the āryā metre.
At Hindi Granth Karyalay, we have been delighting readers since 1912. We are committed to make the best writings in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Hindi and English available to the world. Beside our own publications, we stock and sell books from all the major publishers of India. At our bookstore, which is the oldest in Mumbai, we stock thousands of books on various topics such as religion, philosophy, Indology, literature, poetry, dramatics, art, self-help, yoga, children’s literature, alternative medicine, music, cinema and sports.
This work and many other quality books are available at our bookstore and through mail order.
Best regards,
Manish Yashodhar Modi
हिन्दी ग्रन्थ कार्यालय
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